Sabathani awarded grant to reduce health disparities

The Minnesota Department of Health recently awarded Sabathani Community Center an Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI) grant in the amount of $176,872 for fiscal year 2012-2013. Sabathani will work with community partners to address health disparities in the African American and Latino communities in the areas of diabetes, teen pregnancy, and unintentional injury and violence.

Community partners include the Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC), Southside Clinic, HUE-Man Partnership, Kente Circle, Young Black Male Society, and the University of Minnesota.

To eliminate health disparities in diabetes, Sabathani will increase the amount of healthy foods distributed to low-income families through its food shelf; offer an intergenerational healthy soul food cooking class to urban teens who attend MNIC; provide an array of fitness and dance classes (cardio kick boxing, low-impact aerobics, weight boot camp, Zumba, yoga, hip hop aerobics, and kettle bells) to neighborhood residents and MNIC students; offer a foot clinic and nurses clinic for seniors to check their glucose and weight levels; and conduct a support group in collaboration with the University of Minnesota for individuals who are diabetic or pre-diabetic through the Senior Center’s “Club Sugar.”

The second annual Hue-Man event, a health fair specifically for African American men/men of color, will provide health education, health resources, and outreach to 600-800 men and their families. Male-specific information will be provided on heart health, diabetes prevention/disease management, nutrition, physical activity, primary health care, employment/financial resources, fatherhood/parenting, cancer prevention, and dental care. Medical screening services will also be provided at the event.

To reduce violence and unintentional injuries, Sabathani will partner with MNIC and the Young Black Male Society, an initiative developed by Hakim Propes, to provide after-school programming for teens. EHDI Coordinator Pat Anderson will partner with MNIC staff to team-teach an urban health class (Hood Health). The curriculum will be designed to address the multiple issues young urban teens face while trying to survive the pitfalls associated with coming of age in the “’hood.”

These issues include teen pregnancy, gangs, gun violence, aging out of the foster care system, sexuality, suicide ideation, self-esteem, chemical health, stress reduction, and conflict resolution. Licensed psychologists from Kente’ Circle will give presentations on mental health issues affecting teens, such as anger, depression, suicide ideation, and anxiety. Students who are identified at risk for depression and/or suicide will be referred for counseling.

Teen pregnancy prevention will be addressed within the Latino community through the implementation of Plain Talk, a teen pregnancy intervention, by Erika Kennedy. MNIC students will continue to benefit from the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) intervention through a collaborative effort with The Family Partnership.

“Improving health outcomes for individuals and families within the neighborhoods we serve is critically important to strengthening our community,” said Clyde Turner, Sabathani Community Center’s executive director. “We are grateful for the opportunity provided by the EHDI grant to work together with our partners to reduce the health disparities that currently exist.”

Sabathani Community Center, located at 310 E. 38th Street in South Minneapolis, has been providing social services to the community since 1966. For more information and/or to enroll in fitness classes, contact Pat Anderson, EHDI coordinator, at pander son@sabathani.org.

By Brandi Phillips
Contributing Writer
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